4.2.2 Technology Readiness Assessment a Systems Engineering Process to Ensure All Your Pegs and Holes are Round Before Beginning Development

Abstract

AbstractTechnology insertion can be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole if the technology is not mature enough for the system beginning development. The Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is a process that takes it's pedigree from NASA. NASA needed a systematic approach to assess the maturity of a particular technology and a consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology. An approach using Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) was institutionalized when it was incorporated in the NASA Management Instruction 7100 [Mankins 1995]. This was the beginning of the TRA process. It is now a readily accepted Systems Engineering process for all major U.S.A. Department of Defense (DOD) acquisitions. The use of the TRA is expanding and should be considered for systems being considered for the sustainability of the planet. The TRA is best used up front before system development when deciding on competing technologies to be used and before production when deciding if technologies have matured enough to insure production feasibility. In this paper I shall discuss the key components of the TRA, the identification of Critical Technology Elements (CTE)s and the evaluation of those CTEs against a Technology Readiness Level scale. The purpose of the discussion is to expand the use of the TRA into other Systems Engineering technology intensive domains where continuous systems development is being performed.